New Zealand – Where Kate Resides

What to Eat, See and Do in the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

The Coromandel Peninsula – A slice of Heaven on Earth!

If any of you have grown up in New Zealand, you will understand what I mean when I say we are so lucky to have so many spectacular places right at the tip of our fingers.
One of my favourite regions being the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island.

The Coromandel is renowned for it’s picturesque beaches, native forests and ample outdoor activities.

The perfect time to visit the Coromandel, is around the end of January/beginning of February. The Christmas and New Year period is extremely busy due to it being the school/work/ and university summer holidays. I would recommend not going during this time.

Hahei, Hot Water Beach, Whitianga or Cooks Beach are good locations to use as your base. You’ll need at least 4-6 days in this area depending how tightly you want to squeeze in all your destinations. All of these spots have a holiday park/camping site.
You can also look at Book A Bach for accomodation.

WHERE TO EAT

Hotties Beachfront Eatery // Hot Water Beach // 29 Pye Pl, 3591

Mercury Bay Estate // Cooks Beach // 761 Purangi Rd, 3591

Poivre et Sel // Whitianga // 2 Mill Rd, 3510

Flock // Tairua // 227 Main Rd, 3508

Lukes Kitchen and Cafe // Kuaotunu // 20 Black Jack Rd, 3592

Go Vino // Cooks Beach // 19 Captain Cook Rd, 3591

The Vessel // Cooks Beach // 37 Captain Cook Rd, 3591

Eggsentric // Flaxmill Bay // 1049 Purangi Rd, 3591

Salt // Whitianga // 1 Blacksmith Ln, 3510

Mercury Bay Estate

Hottie’s Beachfront Eatery

WHERE TO GO

Pauanui
Tairua
Hot Water Beach
Hahei
Cathedral Cove
Cooks Beach
Whitianga
Opito Bay
Otama Beach
Kuaotunu
New Chums Beach
Matarangi
Waikawau

WHAT TO DO

The Lost Spring // The perfect place for relaxation is at these Natural Thermal hot pools and Day Spa. The springs were thought to be lost (hence the name) but were rediscovered in 1989.

Banana Boat Whitianga // Experience a state of the art water craft that skims through the water at speeds of up to 40 km/h. They customise the ride to suit all ages.

Scenic Flight // Take in the beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula from above, with the awesome range of itineraries that ‘Fly Stark’ has available.

Kayak Tour // Modern sea kayaking with qualified guides guarantees you will have an amazing experience every time. Their Cathedral Cove tour offers great photo opportunities and are topped off with cappuccinos, hot chocolates and cookies at Cathedral Cove!

Dig holes for Natural Hot Springs // Head to one of New Zealand’s most famous beaches, Hot Water Beach, where a patch of thermal water is bubbling just beneath the surface of the sand. Plan your trip to dig your own hot pool two hours either side of low tide.

Hahei Explorer (Boat Tour) // An hour long boat tour that takes visitors into coastal islands of the marine reserve, reefs, massive sea caves and bays, including the world famous Cathedral Cove.

Cathedral Cove Dive and Snorkel // They offer Scuba Diving & Snorkelling trips both within the stunning Marine Reserve plus the outer islands, pinnacles and volcanic coastline outside of the Marine Reserve boundaries.

Hike the Pinnacles // The Pinnacles Walk follows the original steps constructed for packhorses which carried supplies for kauri loggers, gum diggers and gold miners who plundered the area in the early 1900’s. Atop the Pinnacles, you’ll find the most spectacular panoramic views of the coast.

Geothermal Wonders of Rotorua

Rotorua is located in the Bay of Plenty region in the North Island of New Zealand and has become well known for its geothermal wonders.

TE PUIA
Hemo Rd PO Box 334,
Rotorua 3040,
New Zealand
http://www.tepuia.com/new-zealand/

Te Puia is home to Pohutu Geyser – the largest and most reliable geyser in the Southern Hemisphere. The “Pohutu” (meaning splashing water in Māori) Geyser erupts once or twice and hour, getting up to 100 feet in height! A sight well worth waiting for!

At Te Puia, you can also see New Zealand’s national icon up close. The Kiwi are a flightless nocturnal bird whom which have become endangered. Years ago there were millions but today we have fewer than 100,000.

Throughout Te Puia, you will encounter bubbling mud, steaming ground, and the chance discover the work and methods of traditional Māori woodcarvers and weavers at their National Carving and Weaving School.

Guided tours (90 minutes) are available every hour from 9am onwards.

WAI-O-TAPU GEOTHERMAL WONDERLAND
201 Waiotapu Loop Road
RD 3, Rotorua 3073
New Zealand
http://www.waiotapu.co.nz/

Located 27 kilometres south of Rotorua, Wai-o-tapu (meaning sacred waters in Māori) is a geothermal wonderland home to some very unique features.

On the top of the list you will find the ‘Champagne Pool’. This feature got it’s name by the copious amounts of carbon dioxide present, similar to a glass of bubbling champagne. The vibrant colours around the edge of the 700 year old hot spring are formed due to deposition of minerals in the water.

Other features include giant craters, steaming ground, bubbling mud, geysers, native bush walks and plenty more.

Three self-guided walks have been created throughout the geothermal area where you can literally walk amongst the thermal sights.

Hobbiton Movie Set

In 1999, Peter Jackson knocked on the door of the Alexander’s home, proposed an idea, and decided that this was where the Hobbiton Movie Set would be created. Now, many years later, it is a phenomenon where hundreds of thousands of tourists and LOTR/The Hobbit fans come visit each year. The set is located near the town of Matamata in the Waikato region of the North Island.

The tour starts as you board a bus, then taken through the farm, heading out to the set. Walking into the Hobbiton Movie Set is like stepping into another world. The Hobbit houses are so life-like you feel like they might open their door and greet you as you walk by. There is so much detail put into each house – some even had washing hanging on the line!

The tour lasts about 2 hours long and as part of it you make a stop at The Green Dragon Inn, which is featured in the LOTR trilogy’s and you receive a complimentary drink exclusively made for Hobbiton.

I recommend either going early morning or late afternoon as it gets very crowed over lunch time. You can book your tickets online through their website here.

Hamilton Gardens, New Zealand

Lately I have been trying to get out and about and see more of what my hometown has to offer. Hamilton is home to a spectacular garden whom won an award for International Garden of the year in 2014.

The Hamilton Gardens were built upon an old city rubbish dump, and who knew how wonderful the gardens would become. There are now more than 15 remarkable themed gardens inside, my favourites being the Indian Char Bagh Garden and the Italian Renaissance Garden.

While I wander around the different gardens, I feel as though I am being transported from one country to another. The Hamilton Gardens have done an absolutely wonderful job and I highly recommend making a visit here if you are ever passing through Hamilton.

You can find more info about the Gardens on their website here

Cathedral Cove, Coromandel, New Zealand

After living overseas for a few years, I have come to appreciate my home country so much more. Don’t get me wrong – I have visited some beautiful places, but I think when you grow up somewhere you don’t really see it as a paradise but more an every day thing.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to get a few days off work, so I headed to the Coromandel with some good friends of mine. While we were there, we decided to walk the track to Cathedral Cove – a marvellous beach. It is a major tourist attraction and the beginning scene of Narnia was even filmed there!